Inclosed switching device



y 1933. M, M. SAMUELS ET AL 1,907,125

INCLOS ED SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Sept. 20, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 5 k Maurice M Sam uels l Frag/c J Douglas.

TTORNEY May 2, 1933. SAMUELS ET AL i,907,125

INCLOSED SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Sept. 20, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4.

INVENTORS Maurice/W. Samuels J Frargk J Doug/as.

ATTORNEY May 2, 1933. M. M. SAMUELS ET AL INCLOSED SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Sept. 20, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Maurzce M. Sam uels 12 Frank .ZDaugZas.

AT'TORNEY Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAURICE M. SAMUELS, OF NEW YORK, AND FRANK J. DOUGLAS, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA INCLOSED SWITCHING DEVICE Application filed September 20, 1930. Serial No. 483,254.

Our invention relates to a switching structure of the type in which metallic cubicles are used to enclose a switching apparatus, with means for operating such apparatus from the exterior of the cubicle.

An object of the invention is to provide a structure which shall be flexible in design, so that it can be used for a large number of different types of circuits.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch structure, which shall be compact in arrangement and economical of space.

A further object of the invention is to provide separate cubicles for the outgoing feeder and the circuit breaker, and to separate the two incoming busses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a disconnect switch so mounted that all three phases may be operated together from the exterior of the cubicle.

A further object is to provide a mimic bus on the face of the cubicle to indicate the positions of the disconnect switches at all times.

These and further objects of the invention will be made apparent from the further description of the invention, a particular embodlment of which is illustrated in the drawin s in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional view through two cubicles comprising a section of the switchboard, showing the interiors of the cubicles,

Fig. 2 is a front View of the structure showing two adjacent cubicles, one of which has its front and its circuit-breaker operating means removed, to show the interior structure,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the rear cubi-.

cle, taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1 with its interior shown in elevation.

Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive are a series of diagrammatic sketches indicating the different typesdof connections which may be emlo e p F ig. 9 is a sectional view through the front cubicle, showing the construction of the three-phase disconnect switch and its operating means,

Fig. 10 is a sectional view through Fig. 9 on the line X-X,

Fig. 11 is an enlarged front view of a portion of the front panel, illustrating the mimic bus,

Fig. 12 is a sectional view through Fig. 11 on the line XII-XII.

The switch structure is built up by placing together a plurality of cubicles, using as many sections as is desired. Each section is composed of a front cubicle 1 and a rear cubicle 3 secured together in back-toback relation.

The front cubicle has a back wall 5, side walls 7 and top 9, with a front 11 hinged to the side walls at 13. The rear cubicle 3 is similarly built up with the door opening in the rear. These cubicles are constructed of sheet metal by welding the over-lapped edges together, as at 15.

A circuit breaker 17 is mounted in the front cubicle 1 by suitable means (not shown). Mounted upon the breaker, is an operating mechanism indicated at 19 and having a handle 21, at the front of the cu bicle. A rectangular portion 23 is cut from the front door 11 of the cubicle so that the door may open around the circuit-breaker handle 21. On the rear wall 5 of the front cubicle 1 are mounted two disconnect switches 25 and 27, of a type to be more fully described later. A third disconnect switch 26 is mounted in the rear cubicle in back-to-back relation to the upper discon nect switch 27 in the front cubicle. A feeder 29 enters the rear cubicle 3 from the bottom and is connected, through suitable current transformers 31, otential transformers 33 and busses 35, 3 and 39 to the disconnect switches and the circuit breaker. In the top of the front cubicle is mounted a three-phase bus 41 and in the rear cubicle, a bus 43 is mounted. While the connections shown in Fi 1 are to be described for only a single p ase, it should be understood that each phase is similarly con nected.

This switch structure is particularly adapted to be used for a plurality of different connections. These are illustrated diarammatically in Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive. n Fig. 4, the bus 41 is connected to the outgoing feeder 29, through a single disconnect switch 27 and the circuit breaker 17. For this simple connection, only the single front cubicle 1 would be used with a connection from the bus 41 to the upper disconnect switch 27 through the connecting bus 37 to the circuit breaker 17, the other terminal of which would go directly to the feeder 29.

If a connection, as shown in Fig. 5, is desired, the connection will be from the bus 41 in the front cubicle, through the u per disconnect switch 27, to one terminal 0 the circuitbreaker 17, and from the other terminal of the circuit breaker to the lower disconnect switch 25, the other side of which is connected to the outgoing feeder 29 through conducting bolt 47 and transformer 31.

Fig. 6- illustrates a connection in which a disconnect switch is provided on each side of the circuit breaker, with an additional disconnect switch to make a connection around the breaker. With this connection, the bus 41 is connected to the upper terminal of the u per disconnect switch 27 in the front cubic e, which is electrically connected, by a through bolt 49, to the upper terminal of the disconnect switch 26 in the rear cubicle 3. The bolt 51 throu h the lower ends of the disconnect switc es 26 and 27 is then made of insulating material. The busses 37 and 39 then connect, through the circuit breaker 17, to the lower end of the lower disconnect switch 25. The upper end of this disconnect switch is then connected to the bus 35 in the rear cubicle by means of conducting bolt 47. Bus 35 is connected, at its upper end, to the lower end of the rear disconnect switch 26 and, at its lower end, to the outgoing feeder 29.

In-Fig. 7, a connection is illustrated in which the feeder 29 may be connected either to a main bus 41 through the circuit breaker 17, with a disconnect switch on each side of the breaker or to a transfer bus 43 through a single disconnect switch. With this connection, both of the through bolts 49 and 51 between the upper disconnect switches 26 and 27 are of insulatin material, so that one circuit is provide from the main bus 41 in the front cubicle, through the upper disconnect switch 27, circuit breaker 1 and lower disconnect switch 25, to the feeder 29. Another circuit leads from the transfer bus 43 in the rear cubicle, through the rear disconnect switch 26 and rear bus 35, to the outgoing feeder 29.

. In Fi 8, the connection is of the type in whic the feeder may be connected through the circuit breaker, selectively, to either of two main busses. With this connection, the upper through bolt 49 is of insulatmg material, and the lower through bolt 51 is of conducting material for connecting the upper disconnect switches 26 and 27. The short bus 35 between the u per disconnect switch 26 and bolt 47 in t e rear cubicle is not used. In this way, the busin either cubicle ma be connected, throu h a disconnect switc to one terminal o the circuit breaker, with its other terminal connected to the outgoing feeder.

In order to provide ease of operation the disconnect switches are each arrang so that all three phases may be 0 ened or closed together. The structure 0 the disconnect switches is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. The switch blades 53 are mounted upon the cubicle by insulators of post or pillar type and are pivoted on clips 55 mounted on insulators 57 to engage a sprin cli 59 on the opposite insulator 60. T e t ree switch blades 53 are connected together through connecting insulators 61. The blades 53 are connected to the insulators 61 by means of bolts 63, which'engage studs 65 cemented in the ends of the insulators 61. The bolts 63 are so arranged that the knife blades 53 may turn about the insulators 61. This ives a rigid connection between the three nife blades so that they may be operated in unison.

Around the center of each connecting insulator 61, is secured a strap 67 for connecting the insulator to one end of a lever 69 which is connected, at its other end 71, to a crank 73 to be secured on a shaft 75 extending between the supporting insulators 57 and 60. It is thus seen that rotation of the shaft 75 so operates the crank 73 that the switch may be opened or closed by a rotating movement of the shaft of The shaft 75 is su ported by' lu s 77 welded to the wall of the cubicle. no end of the shaft 79 has a bevel ar 81 mounted thereon, which is supporte from the cubicle b a rectangular piece of sheet metal 83 wel ed to the cubicle. A second bevel g ar 85 en'- gages the first ear 83 and has a shaft 87 extending there rom to the front 11 of the cubicle. The shaft 87 has a uare end 89 to be enga d by a ke 91, whic is inserted through a ole 93 in t e front of the cubicle.

From Fi 2, it is seen that the shafts 87 from the rec disconnect switches 25, 26 and 27 are brought out along the edges of the front panel 11. A mimic bus is arranged on the front 11 to represent the interior us structure, with the main busses 95 and 97 across the top of the panel and the basses 99 and 101 connecting to the feeder 103 extending down the edges of the panel. This leaves the center of the panel clear for the placing of meters 105 or relays 107.

Referring to Figs. 11 and 12, the positions of the disconnect switches are indicated b short sections 109 of the mimic bus, which are rotated when the ke 91 is rotated in the hole 93 to operate the disconnect. The short section of bus 109 is supported by sleeve 111 through the panel 11 and has a collar 113 behind the panel. The panel is provided with two slots 115 and 117 at to each other. The key 91 has a projection 119 which fits in the slots 115 and 117, so that the key cannot be removed until the disconnect switch is in either fully-opened or fullyclosed position. This projection 119 also engages a slot 121 in the rear collar 113 so as to turn the indicating section 109 of the mimic bus.

Thus, it is seen that a switch structure has been provided which is fully enclosed but yet easily operated from the exterior and which is very compact in design and most conveniently operated.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been desc3ibed, it should be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the sco and spirit of the invention as defined in t e following claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In electric-switch gear, a metal cubicle, a disconnect switch mounted on one wall thereof by means of insulating pillars, a second metal cubicle, a second switch similarl mounted in the second cubicle, said two cubicles bein secured, together with said switches, in TlfiCky-liO-bBCk relation, and an electrical connection between said switches through said insulating pillars.

2. In electric switch-gear, a metal cubicle, a disconnect switch mounted on one wall thereof by means of insulating pillars, a second metal cubicle, a second switch similarly mounted in the second cubicle, said two cubi-- secured, together with said cles bein switches, in back-to-back relation, an electrical connection between one end of said switches through said insulating pillars, and other of said insulating illars keeping the other ends of said switches insulated from each other.

3. In electric switch-gear, a metal cubicle, a disconnect switch mounted on one wall thereof by means of insulatin pillars, a second switch similarly mounte in another cubicle, said two cubicles being secured, together with said switches, in back-to-baek relation, and an electrical connection be tween said switches through said insulatin pillars, and means for operating both of sai switches from the front of one of said onbieles.

4; In electric switch-gear, a metal cubicle, a disconnect switch mounted therein and operated by the rotation of a shaft extending to the front of said cubicle, a key for turning said shaft, and means for preventing the removal of said key from said shaft unless the switch is in the fully-open or fully-closed position.

5- 'In electric switch-gear, a pair of metal cubicles secured in back-to-back relation, a disconnect switch in each cubicle, insulating pillars for mounting both ends of said disconnect switches on the adjacent o in walls of the cubicles, insulating illfi: in one cubicle being arranged in aline relation with the respective insulating illars of the other cubicle, said alined insu ating pillars being adapted to have a conducting bolt ex tend therethrough to electrically connect the adjacent ends of said switches, whereby a structure is provided which is ap licable to a plurality of circuit connections y providing conductin bolts in the appropriate pairs of alined insu ating pillars.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 14th day of August, 1930.

MAURICE M. SAMUELS. FRANK J. DOUGLAS. 

